Pre-Marital Sessions

Pre-Marital Sessions

Approximately 45 percent of all first marriages end in divorce and 20 percent of those divorces occur within the first two years. We believe that preparation for your life after the ceremony is very important, and as a trained Prepare/Enrich counselor and non-denominational clergy I am able to lead you and your partner through these sessions covering 15 different areas of married life. Topics include:

                  ~Marriage Expectations~

               ~Personality Issues~

               ~ Communication~

~Financial Management~

~Leisure Activities~

~Sexual Relationship~

~Children and Parenting~

~Family and Friends~

~Role Relationships~

~Spiritual Beliefs~

~Couple Closeness~

~Family Closeness~

~Couple Flexibility~

~Family Flexibility~

These sessions are designed to help you as a couple build a strong marriage.

Preparations sessions will help you:

Identify areas of strength and growth

Improve your communication

Increase your ability to resolve conflict

Gain a greater appreciation for your family-of-origin

Build on your relationship strength areas

Deal with financial goals and budget

Discuss personal, couple and family goals

LINK TO:

Prepare/Enrich Sessions Information

Tips for a Successful Marriage

• Know why you are getting married. If your motives are unrealistic, you may find yourself having unfulfilled expectations.

• Accept that living together and being married are different. Marriage is more than sharing a home and having sex.

• Recognize that many myths of marriage can tear you apart.

• Deal with realities and expectations to keep your marriage strong.

• Interfaith, interracial and intercultural marriages have their own set of unique challenges to face. Discuss your differences before you get married.

• Keep your lines of communication open with one another. Consider using the tool of dialogue to stay emotionally connected.

• Finances are the number one reason couples divorce. Make sure you regularly discuss money issues in your relationship.

• Conflict over chores around the house is second only to conflict over money in a marriage. This is another topic you can't avoid talking about.

• A sexy, exciting marriage doesn't just happen. You need to show your love for one another on a daily basis.

• Make time to have fun together. Recreation means to re-create.

• Learn how to fight fairly. Happily married couples don't avoid an argument. They know how to handle conflict.

• Although children are a tremendous joy, they do have an impact on a marriage. Remember to schedule time just for the two of you.

• Don't let stress tear you apart. Learn coping skills to help you through the tough times.

• Plan ahead for the holidays and how you will handle your in-laws' expectations.

• Accept that all marriages go through stages. Maintaining a healthy marriage is a life long process.

• Be willing to seek help through couple therapy if you find yourselves starting to be defensive, critical, or distant from one another.

Helping Couples Personalize Their Own Wedding Ceremony

Serving The South Western Ontario Area

~Your Wedding~

A Defining Moment Of Love And Marriage

∞

Paul G. Knauer BSc, BED. MA, MDiv

Wedding Officiant

PO Box 330
Komoka, ON, CANADA
N0L 1R0
519-868-3131

This site was last updated 04/21/09